WEBVTT - How Nev Schulman Turned a Bike Crash into a Marathon Comeback – with Purpose 0:00:00.270 --> 0:00:03.210 New York Road Runners is a non- profit organization with 0:00:03.210 --> 0:00:06.570 a vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through 0:00:06.570 --> 0:00:10.230 the transformative power of running. The support of members and 0:00:10.230 --> 0:00:13.860 donors like you helps us achieve our mission to transform 0:00:13.860 --> 0:00:17.130 the health and well- being of our communities through inclusive 0:00:17.130 --> 0:00:21.420 and accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:25.950 Learn more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:34.409 Thank you. New York. Today we're reminded of the power 0:00:34.409 --> 0:00:39.270 of community and the power of coming together. Athletes on 0:00:39.270 --> 0:00:39.839 your mark. 0:00:41.940 --> 0:00:45.420 The first woman to finish for the second straight year 0:00:45.420 --> 0:00:49.140 here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling 0:00:49.140 --> 0:00:52.590 Miki Gorman. And why not? 2: 29:30, the time for good advice. 0:00:53.910 --> 0:00:56.550 Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes 0:00:56.550 --> 0:00:59.580 to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the 0:00:59.910 --> 0:01:02.910 USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day for Matt Kapustka. 0:01:10.140 --> 0:01:13.560 Hey everybody, and welcome to Set The Pace presented by 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:17.580 Peloton, the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Happy 0:01:17.580 --> 0:01:20.819 holidays to everybody out there. As we get closer and 0:01:20.819 --> 0:01:23.430 closer to the end of the year, we're thrilled to 0:01:23.430 --> 0:01:25.650 have you with us. I'm Rob Simmelkjaer, your host and 0:01:25.650 --> 0:01:28.679 the CEO of New York Road Runners. My co- host, 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:31.680 Becs Gentry from Peloton. She'll be here a little bit 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.230 later in the show to join me for an awesome 0:01:34.230 --> 0:01:36.330 interview we had, but she had to run out to 0:01:36.330 --> 0:01:38.850 teach a class, so she'll be back in just a 0:01:38.850 --> 0:01:42.480 little while. Well, we are just about there at the 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:44.760 end of a great year of running here in New York. 0:01:45.180 --> 0:01:47.910 This past Saturday, we got to celebrate the start of 0:01:47.910 --> 0:01:51.270 the winter, but also a truly banner year for New 0:01:51.270 --> 0:01:54.450 York Road Runners. Our team, our runners, our members with 0:01:55.380 --> 0:02:00.150 an appropriately named race, the Frosty 5K, a 5K out in 0:02:00.150 --> 0:02:05.430 Brooklyn. So much fun in Prospect Park. It was frosty. Over 3, 0:02:05.430 --> 0:02:09.780 300 runners showed up at 28 degrees at start time 0:02:09.780 --> 0:02:14.550 in Prospect Park. Lots of people in costumes. Santas and 0:02:14.550 --> 0:02:19.800 reindeer and snowmen and Elsas and Olafs and the whole thing. It was 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.169 a great, great day. I wasn't able to be there, 0:02:22.169 --> 0:02:25.320 but I saw lots of great pictures, not only from 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.620 adults and our staff, but also the kids, the rising 0:02:28.620 --> 0:02:31.679 New York Road Runners program was there. We had races 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:34.950 for the kids ages two to 18, and it was 0:02:34.950 --> 0:02:36.870 great to see them out there. Of course, this is 0:02:36.870 --> 0:02:39.330 like the magical time of year for so many of 0:02:39.330 --> 0:02:41.820 those kids. So they got a chance to run and 0:02:41.820 --> 0:02:44.820 then everybody got a little hot cocoa, which was much 0:02:44.820 --> 0:02:47.310 needed at the end of the day out in Brooklyn. 0:02:47.310 --> 0:02:49.950 So thanks to everybody who came out to run on 0:02:49.950 --> 0:02:54.060 Saturday. Also looking ahead to New Year's as well should 0:02:54.060 --> 0:02:57.989 be exciting. But we had three great winners on Saturday, Jared 0:02:57.990 --> 0:03:01.860 Moore, the men's winner, 16:03. Abbe Goldstein on the women's side, 16: 0:03:01.860 --> 0:03:07.590 45. And Sean Rankin, non- binary at 19:51. For those 0:03:07.590 --> 0:03:10.530 of you who are running on New Year's Eve for our 0:03:10.590 --> 0:03:13.919 annual Midnight Run, we are so excited for that race. 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:15.690 It's going to be amazing. It is, by the way, 0:03:16.050 --> 0:03:18.870 sold out as of the moment of this recording, which 0:03:18.870 --> 0:03:21.510 is very unusual. We don't usually sell that race out 0:03:21.510 --> 0:03:24.660 until much closer to New Year's Eve. But it's already 0:03:24.660 --> 0:03:27.300 sold out so people are excited to run. And by 0:03:27.300 --> 0:03:30.389 the way, one little bit of something new for this 0:03:30.389 --> 0:03:33.600 year's race, we're going to have a drone show instead 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:36.360 of fireworks this year at the Midnight Run. That's right. 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.060 A lot of you are accustomed to the big fireworks 0:03:39.060 --> 0:03:42.510 show. This year, we're changing things up. You might remember, 0:03:42.810 --> 0:03:44.520 before all this rain we had in New York the 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:47.040 last few weeks, there was a drought and a real 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.730 fire risk in Central Park. So we were asked by 0:03:50.730 --> 0:03:54.930 FDNY not to have fireworks. We pivoted, decided to have 0:03:54.930 --> 0:03:57.300 a drone show instead. Something that we've been thinking about 0:03:57.300 --> 0:04:00.810 doing for a while actually. And so the drones will 0:04:00.810 --> 0:04:03.090 be in the air. Drones are a little bit of 0:04:03.090 --> 0:04:05.310 a hot topic right now around the New York City 0:04:05.310 --> 0:04:08.040 area, but these are going to be drones that we 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.890 know exactly where they're going. They're going to be in 0:04:10.890 --> 0:04:15.750 formation. NYPD, FDNY, everybody knows about these drones and they'll 0:04:15.750 --> 0:04:18.690 only be visible really in the immediate area of the 0:04:18.690 --> 0:04:21.810 race. So no reason for fear folks. These are our 0:04:21.810 --> 0:04:24.420 drones that'll be part of the show on New Year's 0:04:24.420 --> 0:04:27.089 Eve, and we look forward to ringing in the New 0:04:27.089 --> 0:04:30.210 Year with so many of you that night. 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.419 Ready to level up your running? With the Peloton Tread 0:04:33.420 --> 0:04:37.469 and Tread+, you can challenge yourself anytime, anywhere. Whether you're 0:04:37.470 --> 0:04:40.529 building strength or working on speed, Peloton has a class 0:04:40.529 --> 0:04:45.510 for every goal, from five to 120 minute workouts. With 0:04:45.510 --> 0:04:49.620 muscle building classes and flexible training options, you'll have everything 0:04:49.620 --> 0:04:52.770 you need to crush your next race and then recover 0:04:52.770 --> 0:04:56.909 from it. All access membership separate. Find your push, find 0:04:56.910 --> 0:05:03.659 your power at onepeloton. com/ race- training. Peloton, the official 0:05:03.660 --> 0:05:06.270 digital fitness partner for New York Road Runners 0:05:06.779 --> 0:05:08.909 Today on Set The Pace, we're joined by a great 0:05:08.910 --> 0:05:12.330 friend of New York Road Runners, Nev Schulman. If you 0:05:12.330 --> 0:05:16.710 watch MTV, you know Nev. He's a TV host, a father of three, 0:05:16.710 --> 0:05:19.320 and a passionate runner. He's known to millions as the 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:23.760 face of MTV's Catfish show. But Nev's life took a 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:28.320 scary turn, scarier than being catfished, in fact, this past August when 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:31.740 a bicycle accident left him with a broken neck. But 0:05:31.740 --> 0:05:35.310 amazingly, just three months later, he defied the odds by 0:05:35.310 --> 0:05:39.060 completing the TCS New York City Marathon as a guide 0:05:39.060 --> 0:05:44.370 for Achilles International, helping a blind runner, Francesco Magisano, cross 0:05:44.370 --> 0:05:48.120 the finish line. And he's here fresh off running another 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:52.200 race, the Pyramids Half Marathon in Egypt. And Nev will 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:55.200 join us to tell us all the incredible lessons that 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.510 he has learned in his career. And of course with 0:05:57.510 --> 0:06:00.810 all the recent drama he had with that very serious 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:03.779 accident on a bike and his recovery to run the 0:06:03.779 --> 0:06:07.080 marathon. And just like Nev Schulman, our featured member of 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:10.500 the day, Dietmar Stork, is a devoted runner with a 0:06:10.500 --> 0:06:14.339 love for all kinds of races, from milers and marathons 0:06:14.339 --> 0:06:18.870 to overnight, ultra- running adventures. His love for the running 0:06:18.870 --> 0:06:22.200 community drives him to be a dedicated volunteer as well, 0:06:22.290 --> 0:06:25.740 making Dietmar an irreplaceable member of our New York Road 0:06:25.740 --> 0:06:28.650 Runners community. Stay tuned because later in the show, Meb 0:06:28.890 --> 0:06:31.710 will be here with Dietmar who will share the inside 0:06:31.710 --> 0:06:33.600 scoop on what it's like to lead a team of 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.750 volunteers at the starting line of the TCS New York 0:06:36.750 --> 0:06:40.680 City Marathon. And as the days continue to get colder 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:43.589 and shorter, today's Meb Minute will focus on what you 0:06:43.589 --> 0:06:46.890 need to do to make sure you stay safe on your winter 0:06:46.890 --> 0:06:48.210 run. So stay tuned for that. 0:06:48.570 --> 0:06:51.750 Growing a business means a lot of audience attracting, a 0:06:51.750 --> 0:06:54.420 lot of lead scoring, and a lot of long days. 0:06:54.750 --> 0:06:57.659 But with HubSpot, it's easier than ever for marketers to 0:06:57.660 --> 0:07:01.440 boost leads and score customers fast, which means pretty soon 0:07:01.589 --> 0:07:06.480 your company will have a lot to celebrate. Visit hubspot. com/ 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:08.490 marketers to learn more. 0:07:08.910 --> 0:07:12.510 Nev Schulman's connection to running started as a little kid 0:07:12.510 --> 0:07:14.910 watching the New York City Marathon finish line with his 0:07:14.910 --> 0:07:18.030 father, a tradition that planted the seed for what has 0:07:18.030 --> 0:07:21.120 become a central part of his life. Since running his 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:25.860 first marathon in 2015, Nev has completed countless races from 0:07:25.860 --> 0:07:29.850 5Ks to ultra marathons, sometimes on his own, sometimes as 0:07:29.850 --> 0:07:34.650 a guide for visually impaired runners with Achilles International. Running 0:07:34.650 --> 0:07:37.470 for Nev is more than a sport, it is therapy, 0:07:37.470 --> 0:07:40.080 adventure, and a way to build community. And as you'll 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:44.490 hear, running specifically the goal of running the 2024 TCS New 0:07:44.490 --> 0:07:48.150 York City Marathon was what gave Nev the inspiration to 0:07:48.180 --> 0:07:51.480 recover, in record time, from an injury that could have 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:55.050 changed his life and his running forever. And Nev, it 0:07:55.050 --> 0:07:57.270 is so great to have you on Set The Pace. 0:07:57.270 --> 0:07:59.460 We've had a chance to meet at a couple of 0:07:59.460 --> 0:08:01.830 finish lines, and we're just thrilled to have you on 0:08:01.830 --> 0:08:02.400 here. Welcome. 0:08:02.970 --> 0:08:04.020 Thanks so much for having me. 0:08:06.150 --> 0:08:11.160 It is so good to see you. It is so good to see you moving. Well, we're 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:13.590 way after the fact now, but we're going to get 0:08:14.190 --> 0:08:18.720 into the nitty- gritty details of what happened to you 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:23.010 last year. I haven't actually spoken to you since then and 0:08:23.550 --> 0:08:25.861 it's so good to see you being you. 0:08:25.861 --> 0:08:29.310 Thank you. It feels good, too. 0:08:29.970 --> 0:08:33.420 So okay, let's get on the readers straight into it 0:08:33.420 --> 0:08:35.790 because I feel like once the readers... The readers. The 0:08:35.790 --> 0:08:41.880 listeners understand what you went through last August, correct? 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:43.050 This August. 0:08:43.050 --> 0:08:50.100 This August. This August. Yeah, August of 2024. So Nev had 0:08:50.190 --> 0:08:53.699 a really, really terrible accident. And I don't want to 0:08:53.700 --> 0:08:56.640 put it into my words, you lived through every moment 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:59.069 of it. So can you tell us all what happened? 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:05.189 Yeah, in very simple terms, I was riding on my 0:09:05.190 --> 0:09:12.720 bicycle and miscalculated some traffic patterns and ended up colliding 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:18.390 with a car going over my handlebars into the back 0:09:18.390 --> 0:09:23.820 of what was a delivery van, work truck. And I 0:09:23.820 --> 0:09:26.670 don't remember anything after that. I woke up on a 0:09:26.670 --> 0:09:34.020 stretcher getting loaded into an ambulance. And at first I 0:09:34.020 --> 0:09:36.480 thought it seemed as though I was okay. My hands 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.660 hurt a little bit, but I didn't have any obvious 0:09:40.170 --> 0:09:46.140 injuries or broken bones that I could see. But upon 0:09:46.230 --> 0:09:51.960 further inspection, it became clear that in the accident I 0:09:51.960 --> 0:10:00.420 had broken my C6 spine vertebrae, so I had what's 0:10:00.420 --> 0:10:06.390 called a stable fracture in my C6, which required immediate 0:10:07.530 --> 0:10:11.880 spine surgery to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord, which 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:15.540 was causing nerve pain. So I was rushed to Stony 0:10:15.540 --> 0:10:18.809 Brook Hospital, which has an intensive care unit for spine 0:10:18.809 --> 0:10:24.510 injuries. And within 12 hours I was in the operating 0:10:24.510 --> 0:10:29.220 room having what's called a laminectomy, which is actually a 0:10:29.220 --> 0:10:33.120 pretty common procedure used to relieve pressure from herniated discs 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:38.160 or spine- related issues. So it was a wild 24 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:41.520 hours. I spent the next six days in the ICU 0:10:41.850 --> 0:10:45.840 being closely monitored for what many doctors and nurses assumed 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:50.370 would be an injury that would've caused some paralysis, but 0:10:50.370 --> 0:10:56.370 remarkably it did not. And I walked out of the hospital 0:10:56.370 --> 0:11:01.559 a week later. And yeah, that was my August. 0:11:03.330 --> 0:11:09.600 Wow, that is petrifying. I can't even begin to imagine, 0:11:10.050 --> 0:11:14.520 not just you personally hearing those words that you've broken 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:19.470 your neck, your spine injuries. They're just things that you 0:11:19.470 --> 0:11:24.660 think, no, no, that's not happening to me right now. 0:11:24.660 --> 0:11:28.290 But did they tell you straight away that you were going to 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:31.290 be paralyzed or was there some time where it was 0:11:31.290 --> 0:11:32.400 we have to wait and see? 0:11:32.910 --> 0:11:36.600 Well, what was probably the scariest part of the whole 0:11:36.600 --> 0:11:42.750 experience was, I'm not typically a very dramatic person in 0:11:42.750 --> 0:11:47.670 terms of my reactions to injuries. I often just assume, 0:11:47.670 --> 0:11:49.620 okay, it's fine, it'll be fine. It's not that bad. 0:11:50.070 --> 0:11:54.510 So initially again, as I took stock of my body, 0:11:54.510 --> 0:11:58.199 I thought, okay, I don't have any giant wounds. I 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:01.470 don't have any bones sticking out of my skin. I 0:12:01.470 --> 0:12:06.120 think I'm okay. But I kept complaining about my hands hurting. 0:12:06.510 --> 0:12:09.270 So they did the MRI and there was a real 0:12:09.270 --> 0:12:14.730 shift in the energy in the room when it became 0:12:14.730 --> 0:12:19.110 clear that I had a spine fracture. And when I 0:12:19.110 --> 0:12:25.080 got to the second hospital, I could tell that every 0:12:25.470 --> 0:12:29.160 doctor and nurse who came into the room, upon seeing 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:36.150 the chart and the headline of cervical spine fracture just 0:12:36.330 --> 0:12:40.319 assumed that I had some paralysis or that there was 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.800 going to be some long- term paralysis. So every time 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.710 they came in and they said, " Okay, we're going to 0:12:46.710 --> 0:12:49.410 do some basic tests. Do you feel this?" And they 0:12:49.410 --> 0:12:52.140 touched my leg and they said, " Wiggle your toes." And 0:12:52.140 --> 0:12:54.059 every time I could do all of those things, and 0:12:54.059 --> 0:12:57.300 I said, " Yes," to do you feel this? I could 0:12:57.300 --> 0:13:04.800 see that they were surprised, which was both a relief, 0:13:05.460 --> 0:13:08.640 but also added to the concern that, wow, I guess 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:12.809 this injury typically doesn't go this way. And most people 0:13:12.809 --> 0:13:15.959 who come in here with this type of an accident are 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:20.040 not feeling and saying yes to these things. So I 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:21.900 knew at the same time how lucky I was, but 0:13:21.900 --> 0:13:26.849 also how serious it was and could potentially become. Because 0:13:26.850 --> 0:13:29.940 with nerve- related things, you have to watch it closely 0:13:29.940 --> 0:13:34.319 because it can change and anything can affect it. So 0:13:34.710 --> 0:13:38.460 there were still a lot of variables that we didn't 0:13:38.460 --> 0:13:39.630 know how they were going to turn out. 0:13:41.010 --> 0:13:43.920 Nev, how long did it take you to get out 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:47.189 of the hospital, to start moving again? What was that 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:52.800 immediate period like? And I'm curious how it must've gone 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:55.770 well for you to even have a chance to think about running 0:13:55.770 --> 0:13:56.309 a marathon. 0:13:56.940 --> 0:14:01.620 Yeah, I was in the hospital for six days. I 0:14:01.620 --> 0:14:04.439 got in there Monday night and I left, I think, 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:10.350 Sunday. But I remember even on, I guess it was 0:14:10.350 --> 0:14:17.610 probably Wednesday, not to get too graphic, but I had 0:14:17.610 --> 0:14:20.880 a catheter for the first two days because I was 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:26.790 knocked out for the surgery. And when I requested to 0:14:26.790 --> 0:14:32.100 remove that, I've always been a little, I don't know 0:14:32.100 --> 0:14:34.170 what the right word is, but I get stage fright 0:14:34.170 --> 0:14:37.980 when it comes to urinating, not in a toilet. So 0:14:37.980 --> 0:14:42.120 I remember on Wednesday I said, " Hey, I really need 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:46.020 to use the bathroom, but I can't mentally get myself 0:14:46.020 --> 0:14:48.600 to do it in a bedpan. Can I please go 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:52.260 use the bathroom?" And the nurse was so confused and 0:14:52.260 --> 0:14:55.230 surprised that I was asking if I could get up 0:14:55.230 --> 0:14:58.590 to go use the bathroom because that is not something 0:14:59.100 --> 0:15:03.570 people typically ask to do in this unit of the 0:15:03.570 --> 0:15:07.440 hospital. She had to go and get the doctor and ask, " 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:09.780 Is it okay? Are we allowed to let him up?" 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:13.050 It just wasn't protocol that they were used to dealing 0:15:13.050 --> 0:15:18.180 with. So they eventually decided to let me do it. 0:15:19.410 --> 0:15:23.400 And once I got up on my feet, it was 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.760 very hard to get me off my feet. Obviously, I 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.190 was exhausted and I needed to lay down and rest 0:15:29.190 --> 0:15:32.040 a lot, but I also wanted to move. I wanted 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:34.979 to walk around the hallways. I wanted to try and 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:38.790 keep myself active as much as possible, even from that 0:15:38.790 --> 0:15:44.010 first week, which again came as a very strange but 0:15:44.010 --> 0:15:47.040 welcome surprise to all of the staff at the hospital 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:50.760 because it's just not something, I don't think anyone else 0:15:51.030 --> 0:15:55.020 who was there that week was doing. I walked past 0:15:55.050 --> 0:16:00.270 those rooms many times and everybody else on that floor 0:16:00.420 --> 0:16:02.700 was laying in their bed the whole time. No one 0:16:02.700 --> 0:16:06.810 was getting up like me. So that's how I knew 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:12.450 initially that, okay, I'm going to be okay. I'm already 0:16:12.450 --> 0:16:18.690 further along than I think anyone expected. And I had 0:16:18.690 --> 0:16:20.910 a brace that I wore and the doctor told me 0:16:20.910 --> 0:16:22.920 I'd be in the brace for at least six weeks. 0:16:23.430 --> 0:16:27.330 So initially I thought, okay, for the next six weeks, 0:16:27.780 --> 0:16:33.540 I'm obviously going to be pretty immobile. And I found 0:16:33.540 --> 0:16:37.650 some sort of workarounds. Obviously, I started physical therapy and 0:16:37.650 --> 0:16:41.190 they had me on the reclined bike, the recumbent bike, 0:16:41.190 --> 0:16:43.230 which allowed me to get a little bit of movement 0:16:43.230 --> 0:16:47.250 in. I got myself one of those mobility scooters so 0:16:47.250 --> 0:16:49.980 that I could at least get around the neighborhood. I 0:16:49.980 --> 0:16:52.980 walk my kids to school and go grocery shopping and 0:16:52.980 --> 0:16:59.100 not be completely reliant on anyone else. But it was 0:16:59.100 --> 0:17:04.500 pretty disheartening because the injury, the healing of my neck 0:17:04.500 --> 0:17:07.560 was obviously happening. The incision had to heal. The muscles 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:12.179 in my neck were injured from the accident and the 0:17:12.180 --> 0:17:15.149 impact. But then of course, they started to atrophy from 0:17:15.150 --> 0:17:17.880 not using them because of the brace. And even just 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:22.080 going for a five- minute walk around the block was 0:17:22.170 --> 0:17:25.859 difficult. It was really hard. My shoulders would get tight, 0:17:25.859 --> 0:17:28.530 my back would start to hurt. It was very discouraging. 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:37.350 So initially I really was very skeptical on if and 0:17:37.350 --> 0:17:42.990 when I'd be back to a fully able- bodied and 0:17:42.990 --> 0:17:49.530 certain running status. So it was unclear how it was going to go for a 0:17:49.530 --> 0:17:50.100 while there. 0:17:51.330 --> 0:17:56.700 Wow. And I want to ask you, because you are 0:17:56.700 --> 0:18:03.150 very motivated. You're a very headstrong guy. When you were 0:18:03.150 --> 0:18:06.450 cycling at the time, were you going to pick up 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:08.790 your kids from school? 0:18:09.090 --> 0:18:13.379 Yeah, it was August, so the kids were in day camp. 0:18:13.770 --> 0:18:13.889 That was it, right. 0:18:13.889 --> 0:18:17.520 And I was on my way to pick up our 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:21.150 then two- year- old or almost three- year- old from 0:18:21.150 --> 0:18:28.409 camp in the afternoon. So obviously in retrospect, I'm glad 0:18:28.410 --> 0:18:33.449 it happened on the way to camp. 0:18:33.450 --> 0:18:33.629 Of course. 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:34.800 It could just easily happened on the way back. 0:18:37.050 --> 0:18:40.710 I bring that up because as a parent and as 0:18:40.710 --> 0:18:47.250 a partner, I can't imagine Laura's freak- out when she 0:18:47.940 --> 0:18:51.270 probably, first of all, they're like, " Okay, well your child 0:18:51.270 --> 0:18:54.929 hasn't been picked up yet." And she's like, " This is 0:18:54.930 --> 0:18:58.350 strange." Gets the call that you've had this horrific accident. 0:18:58.949 --> 0:19:04.320 And how, as a parent and as a very strong- willed person, 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:10.109 how did you utilize the love and the support of 0:19:10.109 --> 0:19:13.859 your family? I'm lucky enough to have met your wife 0:19:13.859 --> 0:19:16.470 and you guys have such a beautiful connection. I met 0:19:16.470 --> 0:19:19.889 your gorgeous son a few years ago. You can tell 0:19:20.369 --> 0:19:24.179 that there's so much love. How did that motivate you 0:19:24.330 --> 0:19:26.218 to get your butt out of the hospital? 0:19:27.209 --> 0:19:34.710 Yeah, I still will never really fully understand the roller 0:19:34.710 --> 0:19:37.619 coaster that my wife went through over the course of 0:19:37.619 --> 0:19:41.040 this whole process. She got the call from the school 0:19:41.070 --> 0:19:42.840 or from the camp that no one had come to 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:46.619 pick up Cy yet. So she knew something was strange 0:19:46.619 --> 0:19:48.750 because she had seen me leave to go get him. 0:19:50.430 --> 0:19:52.590 So she got in the car, and then I think... 0:19:53.100 --> 0:19:57.240 My timeline of this is a little fuzzy. But she 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:00.750 obviously then got a call that, " Hey, your husband's been in 0:20:00.810 --> 0:20:04.770 a bike accident. He's on the way to Southampton Hospital." 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:08.760 But from what she had been told, it was, " He's 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:12.780 okay." Because I was talking. Again, I didn't have any 0:20:12.780 --> 0:20:16.560 massive major physical visible injuries. So they just assumed, " Hey, 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:18.180 we're taking him to the hospital just to get him checked out, 0:20:18.180 --> 0:20:22.440 but he seems fine." So she thought, okay, I'll pick 0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:26.310 up Cy and then he'll come home from the hospital either 0:20:26.310 --> 0:20:28.080 after he gets checked out or we'll go see him, 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:31.950 whatever. So it was a little confusing. She then came 0:20:31.950 --> 0:20:34.020 to the hospital right around the same time that they 0:20:34.020 --> 0:20:36.149 discovered, that evening, that I was going to need to 0:20:36.150 --> 0:20:38.970 be transferred to an ICU because I had broken my 0:20:38.970 --> 0:20:45.000 neck. So it all happened in that evening and she 0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:47.340 realized, oh wow, this is not just some small thing 0:20:47.340 --> 0:20:52.109 that is going to be over now. And over the 0:20:52.109 --> 0:20:56.310 course of that week, but even more so the next 0:20:56.940 --> 0:21:01.950 four weeks, I really... And I've been very aware of 0:21:01.950 --> 0:21:05.790 and appreciative of the support I have and the family 0:21:05.790 --> 0:21:10.800 that I am blessed to be a part of. But 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:19.170 I've never really appreciated fully the level of care and 0:21:19.170 --> 0:21:26.100 support and selflessness that it takes to go through something 0:21:26.100 --> 0:21:29.250 like this with your partner with whom you have children. 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:34.080 Because what she had to do and the responsibility she 0:21:34.080 --> 0:21:36.240 had to take on and the stress and the burden 0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:41.070 and the just management of all of the factors and 0:21:41.070 --> 0:21:46.859 feelings, and the hospital stuff and the nurse stuff, and 0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:51.359 getting me a chair, there was so much that had 0:21:51.359 --> 0:21:54.630 to happen that I couldn't do or be a part 0:21:54.630 --> 0:21:58.918 of at all. And I hate to, not that this 0:21:58.919 --> 0:22:04.200 is the word, but there's the business of caring for someone is 0:22:04.200 --> 0:22:08.730 immense. And seeing her and my other family members, my 0:22:08.730 --> 0:22:11.790 uncle and my mom who flew in from California, and 0:22:12.150 --> 0:22:15.060 everyone who just dropped what they were doing and said, " 0:22:15.060 --> 0:22:16.350 Okay, this is it. This is what we have to 0:22:16.350 --> 0:22:20.369 do now. We have to all chip in and support 0:22:20.700 --> 0:22:26.190 Laura and the kids." Because I was essentially taken care 0:22:26.190 --> 0:22:28.560 of, but there were so many things that needed to 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:35.640 also be handled. And so seeing that really, I remember 0:22:35.970 --> 0:22:40.889 I was sitting with my mother, Laura, my uncle, and 0:22:40.890 --> 0:22:43.230 they were on the phone, with the hospital and they 0:22:43.230 --> 0:22:46.980 were dealing with other... And I just started crying. I 0:22:46.980 --> 0:22:51.480 just couldn't believe the amount of care and love and 0:22:51.480 --> 0:22:54.930 support that I was feeling from my family in that 0:22:54.930 --> 0:22:57.450 moment and how much I needed it and couldn't do 0:22:57.510 --> 0:23:00.210 without it. It was very humbling. 0:23:02.880 --> 0:23:07.619 I think that's the right word. And you're lucky to 0:23:07.619 --> 0:23:10.320 have it and you wish you didn't need it in 0:23:10.320 --> 0:23:13.950 a moment like that. 100%. Okay, Nev, so I've got 0:23:13.950 --> 0:23:18.000 to ask you. When did the thought of running the 0:23:18.000 --> 0:23:22.260 marathon even sneak into your mind? Had you already planned 0:23:22.260 --> 0:23:26.460 to run, you ran as a guide with Achilles, was 0:23:26.460 --> 0:23:31.740 that already on the calendar in the plan when this accident happened? 0:23:31.950 --> 0:23:36.090 So yeah, last year I ran as a guide with 0:23:36.090 --> 0:23:42.180 Achilles, and it was such a incredibly meaningful and fulfilling 0:23:42.300 --> 0:23:46.980 experience, and it was exactly the thing I was looking for in 0:23:46.980 --> 0:23:51.810 my progression as a marathon runner. Having run the New York City 0:23:51.810 --> 0:23:55.020 Marathon about I think six or seven times, I realized, 0:23:55.020 --> 0:23:56.550 okay, there's got to be more to this. How can 0:23:56.550 --> 0:24:00.150 I find more meaning? How can I find more deeper 0:24:00.330 --> 0:24:04.650 satisfaction in this event? And so I guided last year 0:24:04.650 --> 0:24:08.490 and loved it. So I immediately then guided with Francesco 0:24:08.490 --> 0:24:11.399 in Boston in April. We had such a good time 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:14.070 there. He invited me to be his guide again this 0:24:14.070 --> 0:24:16.320 year in New York City, so I had already agreed 0:24:16.710 --> 0:24:22.920 to do that. I was also working with the incredible 0:24:22.920 --> 0:24:26.400 coaching app, Runna, with whom I have a partnership. 0:24:26.910 --> 0:24:29.638 And so do we. Of course, we love Runna. Absolutely. 0:24:30.479 --> 0:24:35.460 And so I was actively training for two upcoming events 0:24:35.460 --> 0:24:39.179 with them. I was going to run I a half- 0:24:39.180 --> 0:24:43.169 marathon in the UK, the Great North Half, which is 0:24:43.170 --> 0:24:44.730 this incredible race, which I've- 0:24:44.730 --> 0:24:46.860 Big event. Becs knows well, I'm sure. Yep. 0:24:46.860 --> 0:24:51.090 So I was training to set my new PB for a 0:24:51.090 --> 0:24:55.169 half, which was, I think, in September. And then I 0:24:55.170 --> 0:24:57.510 was going to roll that into hopefully setting a new 0:24:57.510 --> 0:25:03.570 PB at the Honolulu Marathon in December. And the New York 0:25:03.570 --> 0:25:06.119 City Marathon was going to be a perfect training race 0:25:06.119 --> 0:25:07.770 to lead up to that. So I had a whole 0:25:08.130 --> 0:25:14.850 really very elaborate plan for my fall running. Obviously, it 0:25:14.850 --> 0:25:18.330 became clear that the training for the Great North Half 0:25:18.480 --> 0:25:21.209 wasn't going to happen anymore. But because I was in 0:25:21.210 --> 0:25:24.060 such good shape and I'd been training so hard, in 0:25:24.060 --> 0:25:26.820 my head, I was already like, I don't want to 0:25:26.820 --> 0:25:31.800 lose this fitness. So I had already started thinking, okay, 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:34.470 I'll put off... The half isn't going to happen. Fine. 0:25:34.470 --> 0:25:38.070